Environmental Panelists hold conference

A group of 30 students, local residents, and local environmental activists convened on Saturday in the Tufts Administration Building to discuss environmental justice in the Mystic River watershed.

The first Environmental Justice Across the Mystic (EJAM) summit featured state Senator Jarret Barrios as keynote speaker. Barrios called upon citizens to support efforts to codify existing environmental policy into law in the form of Senate Bill 1190, The Clean and Healthy Communities Act.

"A policy exists as long as [someone] wants to have it. A law means there is no discretion at all, and that enforcement is required," Barrios said. Under S.1190, the state will have to increase public outreach efforts, provide neighborhoods with the necessary resources for empowerment, and give incentives for the development of non-polluting industries.

Barrios said studies have correlated areas of poverty and environmental damage. "We shouldn't have to experience pollution just because we live in a certain zip code," Barrios said.

The EJAM was founded in response to the widespread pollution in the valley. Eight of the 15 most polluted communities in Massachusetts are in the Mystic River Watershed. EJAM was formed through a partnership between the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) and Tufts. The New England Chapter of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sponsored three public forums and two environmental justice training sessions.

Saturday was the culmination of these efforts, where participants came together to develop an action plan for the region.

After Barrios' address, the summit split into four groups: water quality, land use and transportation, communication and participation, and exposure and public health. The groups then identified problem areas and suggested possible actions and solutions.

The four groups then reconvened to report their conclusions to a group of panelists. Suggestions included increased monitoring of pollution sources, consideration of the long-term effects of road projects, community outreach and education about health-related issues, and working with local groups to create public health NGOs.

The panelists responded to each group, emphasizing training, education and the formations of partnerships to addressing new issues. They also noted activists must take care to include all interested parties in their actions, while being aware of time frames and other limitations.

"We hope that interested parties will follow through and form coalitions around specific issues," said Nancy Hammet, one of EJAM's co-chairs.

The summit was EJAM's final event because its EPA funding has run out. However, the Mystic Watershed Collaborative plans to develop a committee to continue discussion of EJAM issues.

"The main goal now is to distribute the information learned and discussed throughout the workshops, trainings, and summits," said Anastasia Marshak, a Tufts sophomore who has worked closely with MyRWA.